Surya Namaskar row: Christians question ‘Sun God’

Bhopal: After a fatwa was issued against Madhya Pradesh government’s `Surya Namaskar` push, Christian groups are also up in arms against the move.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had planned to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the maximum number of people performing the ancient Yoga regimen together on the occasion of Swami Vivekanand`s birthday on Thursday.

Muslim leaders had termed the move as un-Islamic and equated it with idol-worship, which is prohibited in Islam and issued a fatwa.
Now certain Christian groups have also come out in the open against ‘Surya Namaskar’. They argue that the exercise regimen is a religious activity as sun is being termed a God.

Even principals of some Christian run schools have opposed the move and said that, as per the Constitution, no one can be forced to perform a religious activity and termed the move as ‘saffronisation of schools’.

They accused the government of giving ‘oral directions’ to ensure that ‘Surya Namaskar’ is performed compulsorily in all schools.
It may be noted that the state government had asked the school education department to make arrangements to ensure maximum participation in the exercise.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has clarified that the participation in the exercise is not compulsory. “It is not mandatory and there is nothing religious about it,” he said.

Chouhan added that it is just a form of exercise aimed at introducing children to the advantages of ‘Surya Namaskar’.

Several Yoga experts have expressed resentment over the politics being played over ‘Surya Namaskar’, which has been accepted the world over as a complete exercise.